According to the 2023 Urban Wastewater Treatment report by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), it is projected that it may take as long as 20 years to elevate Ireland’s wastewater treatment facilities to meet European benchmarks. Uisce Éireann, the national, state-owned water authority, contends that years of inadequate funding in water treatment facilities will not be rectified instantly, despite their best efforts.
The company highlights its commitment to key areas such as eliminating the release of untreated sewage into bodies of water such as rivers, estuaries, lakes and coastlines. In this regard, it cites the reduction in towns releasing raw sewage, a figure that dropped from 29 in 2022 to 16 the following year. While the EPA acknowledges this prioritisation, it presses for quicker progress. Both entities concur on the irrefutable need for significant, consistent investment.
Those who understand the origins of Irish Water, the initial name for Uisce Éireann, likely won’t be shocked by the current situation. The national water service, comprised of a mosaic of private strategies and severely underfunded local water and wastewater networks (some of whose segments are over a century old), was not established in Ireland until 2013, instigated by the IMF, EU and ECB trio.
Resistance to the dues intended to finance Irish Water and concerns about potential privatisation caused a lack of political backing. By 2023, it became an independent entity, with its budget now determined by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities.
Uisce Éireann invested approximately €436 million last year, but argues that this sum will need to be multiplied in the forthcoming years to attain required standards. The state allocated €1 billion to the service in the budget for investment purposes. Additional funds are expected from the Apple tax payment, and the introduction of the new Planning Act is anticipated to expedite delivery times. But despite these measures, it will surely be a lengthy process to meet EU standards; however, it should not necessitate two full decades.